Frank Ponce

[appgrad2010]

Who actually posts on here who is a coach at any level? If not, it clearly shows as majority on here are so clueless.

[fjblair]

Did we ever run a screen? Also needed to utilize Tight Ends more and pass some to RBs out of backfield.

No screens, no wheels, not much with TE.

[bigdaddyg]

We went 10-2 in the regular season so I won’t absolutely pile on negativity but I am curious. I noticed that on more than one occasion when we ran a play action pass Chase faked a handoff to the wrong side. The back went one way and he simply did the fake. Never coached a football game in my life and never played a down but those plays looked messed up.

[AppStateNews]

We went 10-2 in the regular season so I won’t absolutely pile on negativity but I am curious. I noticed that on more than one occasion when we ran a play action pass Chase faked a handoff to the wrong side. The back went one way and he simply did the fake. Never coached a football game in my life and never played a down but those plays looked messed up.

Majority of the time it was because the line was slanted one way and RB had a pass protection assignment. The play as it's drawn up is for the RB to go the way of the play action, but if he reads no protection on his assignment (due to line slant), he will just go to his assignment immediately.

Other times, especially if we are giving an RPO look, it's to get a read on the LB. The LB, more so against RPOs, will get his keys from the QB drop back. If the QB does a play action motion, even without a RB there, it will get the LB to move a certain way. Brice can then read the coverage better.

[AppSt94]

We went 10-2 in the regular season so I won’t absolutely pile on negativity but I am curious. I noticed that on more than one occasion when we ran a play action pass Chase faked a handoff to the wrong side. The back went one way and he simply did the fake. Never coached a football game in my life and never played a down but those plays looked messed up.

Admittedly, it looks odd. Given the frequency at which it happened, I have to wonder if it is by design.

[bigdaddyg]

We went 10-2 in the regular season so I won’t absolutely pile on negativity but I am curious. I noticed that on more than one occasion when we ran a play action pass Chase faked a handoff to the wrong side. The back went one way and he simply did the fake. Never coached a football game in my life and never played a down but those plays looked messed up.

Admittedly, it looks odd. Given the frequency at which it happened, I have to wonder if it is by design.

Again, I don’t know crap about coaching but anytime I’ve seen play action usually the back is lined up behind the QB and takes the fake to freeze the LB’s who hopefully bite one the run. If our back goes right and the QB fakes to nobody it kind of kills the deception and the backers can drop back faster and they take away the middle of the field. Seems like a wasted fake so to speak.

[appstatealum]

Did we ever run a screen? Also needed to utilize Tight Ends more and pass some to RBs out of backfield.

Bingo. So many times we could've opened lanes for running game and/or pulled defenders closer for deeper or mid-level throws, which seem to be Chase's strength. I can't tell you how many games I watched where it blew my mind that we didn't run screens, or even their "patented" Malik WR throw to alleviate the aggressive pass rush of our competitor.

[appstatealum]

We went 10-2 in the regular season so I won’t absolutely pile on negativity but I am curious. I noticed that on more than one occasion when we ran a play action pass Chase faked a handoff to the wrong side. The back went one way and he simply did the fake. Never coached a football game in my life and never played a down but those plays looked messed up.

Majority of the time it was because the line was slanted one way and RB had a pass protection assignment. The play as it's drawn up is for the RB to go the way of the play action, but if he reads no protection on his assignment (due to line slant), he will just go to his assignment immediately.

Other times, especially if we are giving an RPO look, it's to get a read on the LB. The LB, more so against RPOs, will get his keys from the QB drop back. If the QB does a play action motion, even without a RB there, it will get the LB to move a certain way. Brice can then read the coverage better.

This. There is so much that goes into play design and successful implementation of that design. The feeling I got was Ponce had "his" play design and didn't do the best job of adapting it to the talent we had and what would work best. I think Ponce has a solid mind for the game just felt like it didn't materialize with this group outside of a few instances. To me, the ECU game script was his best and it was downhill from there.

[ericsaid]

May be an unpopular opinion, but I felt Ponce mismanaged our offensive talent and his play design/play calling depreciated as the season went on. I'm sure I'll get a few "arm chair OC" comments and the like, but I dont speak from a casual fan perspective.

I feel the comments at Louisiana Round 1 were telling. Clark said "sometimes the simplest game plan is the best" and a lot of times it seemed like just that, overly simple. A lot of things missing from the old Ponce/Satterfield offense. I assume the reason for the shift is that Chase isn't a true dual threat quarterback so a lot of his play sheet that is set-up by the QB being a threat to run is negated with a guy like Chase.

Ponce uses progressions to call the offense so I'd assume a lot of the screens and mis-direction are predicated on the QB run and without the QB run you can't progress to those misdirection and other deception calls.

[appstatealum]

May be an unpopular opinion, but I felt Ponce mismanaged our offensive talent and his play design/play calling depreciated as the season went on. I'm sure I'll get a few "arm chair OC" comments and the like, but I dont speak from a casual fan perspective.

I feel the comments at Louisiana Round 1 were telling. Clark said "sometimes the simplest game plan is the best" and a lot of times it seemed like just that, overly simple. A lot of things missing from the old Ponce/Satterfield offense. I assume the reason for the shift is that Chase isn't a true dual threat quarterback so a lot of his play sheet that is set-up by the QB being a threat to run is negated with a guy like Chase.

Ponce uses progressions to call the offense so I'd assume a lot of the screens and mis-direction are predicated on the QB run and without the QB run you can't progress to those misdirection and other deception calls.

Possibly. Should have adapted to his personnel though.

[CharlotteApp05]

I also don't remember any of those Jet Sweep Virgil runs. That was successful early in his career and would have been an easy way to create more misdirection for the Defense to have to account for.

[ericsaid]

May be an unpopular opinion, but I felt Ponce mismanaged our offensive talent and his play design/play calling depreciated as the season went on. I'm sure I'll get a few "arm chair OC" comments and the like, but I dont speak from a casual fan perspective.

I feel the comments at Louisiana Round 1 were telling. Clark said "sometimes the simplest game plan is the best" and a lot of times it seemed like just that, overly simple. A lot of things missing from the old Ponce/Satterfield offense. I assume the reason for the shift is that Chase isn't a true dual threat quarterback so a lot of his play sheet that is set-up by the QB being a threat to run is negated with a guy like Chase.

Ponce uses progressions to call the offense so I'd assume a lot of the screens and mis-direction are predicated on the QB run and without the QB run you can't progress to those misdirection and other deception calls.

Possibly. Should have adapted to his personnel though.

I AGREE.

And think most of us agree on that here. Not sure if he got here with enough time to adapt and teach his offense?

[Rekdiver]

Not a jab but a question. do we have the right coach for our Oline? Is he better suited for another position??

[goapps93]

What we armchair coordinators have to remember is that we don't break down opponent's film like the coaches do nor do we actually put together a game plan. It's not as easy as we like to imagine it to be. There's more to play calling than just thinking, "hey, a jet sweep might work here." There are so many variables that occur that make a play work or keep it from working: down and distance, defensive tendencies, personnel, to name a few. There is also a defensive coordinator who has been and is game planning to stop the offense. And sometimes dudes just make plays. It's also important to remember that a play that "doesn't work" in the first quarter many times is run just to make another play work in the third quarter. It's easy to second guess from the stands, the recliner, or the couch, but that's all we're doing, second guessing. As we all know, hindsight is 20/20 and I would bet good money that Ponce and Co. are using it as well. But as much as plans are made and plays are called to be successful, sometimes, like I said earlier, dudes just make plays. That's the biggest variable.

[goapps93]

Not a jab but a question. do we have the right coach for our Oline? Is he better suited for another position??

I've been wondering the same thing, Rekdiver. That's the one coaching spot I have concerns. I love Nic but I don't know if OL coach is the best place for him. I'm also willing to stick with him as he improves since he is early in his career.

[Rekdiver]

What we armchair coordinators have to remember is that we don't break down opponent's film like the coaches do nor do we actually put together a game plan. It's not as easy as we like to imagine it to be. There's more to play calling than just thinking, "hey, a jet sweep might work here." There are so many variables that occur that make a play work or keep it from working: down and distance, defensive tendencies, personnel, to name a few. There is also a defensive coordinator who has been and is game planning to stop the offense. And sometimes dudes just make plays. It's also important to remember that a play that "doesn't work" in the first quarter many times is run just to make another play work in the third quarter. It's easy to second guess from the stands, the recliner, or the couch, but that's all we're doing, second guessing. As we all know, hindsight is 20/20 and I would bet good money that Ponce and Co. are using it as well. But as much as plans are made and plays are called to be successful, sometimes, like I said earlier, dudes just make plays. That's the biggest variable.

I wont disagree with you but it looks like we stop at Plan "B" and arent quick enough to consider a Plan" C"

[AppSt94]

What we armchair coordinators have to remember is that we don't break down opponent's film like the coaches do nor do we actually put together a game plan. It's not as easy as we like to imagine it to be. There's more to play calling than just thinking, "hey, a jet sweep might work here." There are so many variables that occur that make a play work or keep it from working: down and distance, defensive tendencies, personnel, to name a few. There is also a defensive coordinator who has been and is game planning to stop the offense. And sometimes dudes just make plays. It's also important to remember that a play that "doesn't work" in the first quarter many times is run just to make another play work in the third quarter. It's easy to second guess from the stands, the recliner, or the couch, but that's all we're doing, second guessing. As we all know, hindsight is 20/20 and I would bet good money that Ponce and Co. are using it as well. But as much as plans are made and plays are called to be successful, sometimes, like I said earlier, dudes just make plays. That's the biggest variable.

I wont disagree with you but it looks like we stop at Plan "B" and arent quick enough to consider a Plan" C"

They get 20 hours a week of prep time with these kids. I’m not sure how much you expect them to get accomplished in that time frame.

[Rekdiver]

They have an entire offseason to add wrinkles.....

[AppSt94]

They have an entire offseason to add wrinkles.....

Yes. But you only have a finite time to practice said wrinkles on a weekly bases. What works against Marsha, may not work against CoVid Carolina.

[Oldlknapp]

In the ULL case, they had “analyst” that were monitoring our signals. In fact, sometimes it seemed like they knew our plays before we did.
Perhaps it wasn’t so much a simple playbook, but rather they were ready for it.